Seeing You Again
by Sydnee1230
Summary: In Fang's note to Max, he says after twenty years, if she wants to, that they will meet at the cliff and he will wait for her. It's been twenty years... will she go to see him?
1. Chapter 1

**Heyo guys! This is my first fanfic...hope y'all like it! :-)**

* * *

 _Tell you what, Sweetie. If in twenty years we haven't expired yet, and the world is still more or less in one piece, I'll meet you at the top of that cliff where we first met the hawks and learned to fly with them. You know the one. Twenty years from today, if I'm alive, I'll be there, waiting for you. You can bet on it._

 _Good-bye, my love._

 _Fang_

 _P.S. Tell everyone I sure will miss them._

* * *

 _Max's pov..._

I stare at the note in my hand. My eyes skim over the words for the thousandth time. _If in twenty years we haven't expired yet..._ my heart does a funny little flutter every time I read that.

Tomorrow will be twenty years since he left. I still don't know if I'm going.

Angel, my baby, (who isn't a baby at all anymore) walks into my room and stares. I have a feeling I know what's coming. "What do you mean you don't know if you're going or not?" She puts her hands on her hips.

I lay the letter down and stand up from the bed that I was sitting on. "I've told you not to read my mind Angel." I say, attempting to scold her. I walk over to the window and stare out over the Arizona red ground.

We've stayed with my mom for a while now. I realized the twenty years were almost up and something inside me went a little crazy. I want to see Fang so bad, but what if he's changed and he's not like my Fang? What if he's a different person entirely?Thethought  
/makes my stomach knot up.

"You know I wouldn't listen." She comes over and stands beside me. "You know, Fang probably hasn't changed that much. I mean, He's Fang." She laughs a little, her blue eyes sparkling. "He's probably still his dark brooding self."

"You think so?" I try not to get my hopes up but Angel nods.

"Of course he's still the same!" Nudge exclaims. "Why would he have changed? I mean yeah it's been twenty years but so? You have to go Max and if you don't go, we'll go."

I hear Gazzy and Iggy agree. Of course they were listening.

I look at each one of them. My flock. All grown up.

My doubts still come at me. "What if he expired?" I say in a small voice. Angel rolls her eyes at me.

"Max you'd feel it if he died."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just _know._ Now come on! I don't know about you but I'm ready to see Fang." She walks out the door, the flock following.

My heart skips a beat. I'll see him in a few hours _if_ he's there.

I untuck my wings and feel myself relax.

Angel comes back in. "Come on." She waves me over to her.

I come out the room and follow her,the rest of the flock following. She opens the front door and walks out, spreading her wings. She takes a running start then jumps, pushing down hard with her powerful wings she goes higher and Gazzy follows her.

Nudge goes next, then Iggy. They turn around and look at me expectantly. I sigh. No getting out of this... even if I wanted to. I run and spread my wings out. I jump and beat down gaining altitude till I'm above my flock. "We ready?"

Each head nods.

Well, I guess we're going to see Fang.

* * *

 **Sorry this chapter was so short. The next will be better.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! Let's see how this goes...**

* * *

 _Fang's pov..._

I came a few days earlier to the cliff than what I had said in my letter. I kept thinking about Max... and of course the rest of the flock too but I'll admit mostly Max.

Today is exactly twenty years, to the day, of when I wrote that letter.

I don't know if they'll come or not honestly. I mean, I _left_ them. I wonder if they ever forgave me. It broke my heart when I wrote that letter. I poured every ounce of love I could muster into that letter, hoping it would last till now.

I'll wait for them. As long as it takes. I'll wait.

I sit still, leaning against a rock, watching some hawks. I don't know how long hawks live. They could be the same ones we learned so much from those twenty something years ago or different ones.

These twenty years I've only dreamed of the day where Max and I arereunited again. I don't know what she'll do if she comes and sees me - kiss me or punch me. The corner of my mouth lifts up to a smirk.

She'll probably do both.

Then a thought pops into my head that makes my eyes slam closed. What if she moved on?ive never thought about that before. Fear pierces my heart for a split. Shecould've moved on after a year or two and found someone who would stay with her.

I clench my fists. Someone who wouldn't break her heart.

I find myself worriedly running my hands through my now shorter hair. I need to stop thinking like this. Max wouldn't do that. She cares too muchabout the flock.

My eyes open, my head snaps up. The flock... they're all twenty years older. Every time I think about them, I think about them as if they were the same kids I left. The two fair, blue eyed siblingswith blonde hair. They won't be little kids like  
/I remember. And Nudge and Iggy. They're grown. I missed them turning into adults.

I wonder what they're doing. I've wondered that so many times in the past years. Have they gotten married? Found anything or anyone that they loved in this world?

I know Gazzy loved explosives and Nudge loves her clothes and fashion. I wonder if Ella and Iggy ever got serious. Max... I don't know what she could be doing.

They might be on their way. Or Max is the only one who could be coming. Or they don't come at all...

A sound at the front of the cliff makes me look up. I forget every thought and worry I had.


	3. Chapter 3

**Before each chapter I might respond to a review every now and then. But not in this chapter...**

 **I'll try my best to do about 500 words per chapter.**

 **And if some of you guys want to review and tell me what you think should happen or want to happen, that would be kinda helpful.**

 **Lol enjoy chapter 3!**

* * *

 _Max's pov..._

I can neverget over how exhilarating flying is. The cool wind sifts throughmy feathers, ruffling them,and makes my hair tangle even more than it is.

We're on our way to see Fang... the Flock and I,at the cliff where we stayed with the hawks. The thoughtof seeing him (if he's even there) makes my stomach roll.

I look at each ofmy flock. They seem excited aboutseeing him. I -as you can tell -am as nervous as all get out. I can't stop fretting over how he'll be. I mean, he's twenty years older and he's probably not like the Fang that left. The Fang  
/that I knew had my back. The Fang that was (maybe still is) my other half. Who knew me like no one else. But each oneof us have changed since that letter.

And of course we're each twenty years older. Iggy, Fang, and I are 35, Nudge is 32, Gazzy is 29, and Angel is 27.

For the millionth time I try to push away the guilt that comes with my thoughts. Even if it's not my fault. Like how we're a bunch of mutant bird kid-freaks,lab experiments.

I know how much some of them want to be normal. Like Nudge. She struggled with it all throughout her teen years. Maybe even now. She's known herobsession though. Fashion...Something I would never even think of but then again, this is Nudge. She

taught herself how to sew and now she makes her own clothes. Our clothes too. They can be a little too out there for me but I still wear them for Nudge.

Angel comes closer, the tips of her feathersbarely brushing against mine. "We're almost there." She looks at me with those blue eyes.

"Really? I haven't been paying much attention." I look out before me, nerves making my stomach roll once more.

"Nervous?"

"Crazy nervous." I give a small laugh. Herhead tiltsdown and I see the corners of her mouth lift.

I think about asking her why she was grinning but choose to ignore it. No telling what she is thinking.

I look away from Angel and instead look at the town that we're flying over. I definitely know where we are.

My heart starts racing and my breathing starts coming in short, quick breaths. Why amI acting so dramatic? I need to get away. Just for a few minutes."Hey, guys I'm gonna go down." Before they can respond, I tuck my wings and let myself fall. AsI  
get closer to the ground, I spread my wings and let them catch me a little before I hit the ground and run a few feet.

I run a little more and go to the side of a building where I squat to catch my breath. I put my head in my hands. I am so overreacting right now.

I stay there while I slow my breathing and let my heart go back to its normal pace.

What the heck will I do when I actually see him? I freak out every time I think of where we're going and who we're going to see. For the millionth time I wonder if he's even there. Or if he's waiting on us.

How will he react when he sees us?

I hear a soft beating of wings and then footsteps.

"I just need a few minutes alone." I say without looking up.

"No you don't." Iggy says as he sits beside me. "I know what's going on Max. Don't worry. I'm sure he's there."

"How do you know that for sure?"

I hear him slowly breathe out, probably trying not to get frustrated with me.

When Fang left, Iggy stepped up a bit and was there for me when no one else was. He would make me talk to him before I would bust at the seams with words and emotions I would hold in.

"I remember you reading that letter out loud." He says in a matter of fact voice. "And also I know for a fact he didn't leave because he _wanted_ too."

I lift my head from my hands and look at Iggy, thinking. His milky eyes stare straight ahead, his head leaned against the shop wall. He'scome closeto knowing me like Fang did.

"True," I tell him. "Do you... do you think he's different?" I snort. "I mean we're all different, but you know, _even more different_?" I bite my lip. I sound so stupid.

Iggy sighs. "Fang wasn't the type of personwho would change very much. Just don't worry about it." He pauses for a few seconds. "I'm sure he still loves you too."

My breath catches. "You think so?"

"Yep."

"Okay," We sit for a few more minutes in silence before I speak. "Iggy?"

"Mhm?"

"Thanks."

He turns his head towards me. "Anytime."

I'm slightly comforted by Iggy's words. A little bit of the nerves were ebbed.

"Is the flock still flying?"

He shakes his head. "They're camped out in some trees at the edge of the city."

I stand and dust off my pants. "Well, I think I'm ready."

I watch him stand and I timidly step forward and wrap my arms around his waist. "I really needed that talk."

He hesitantly hugs me back, probably taken aback that I'm touching him in some way other than hitting. "Like I've said, I'm here. You can talk to me anytime."

I back away fast. "Let's get back to the flock." I brush my knotted hair over my shoulder and snap my wings out, following Iggy back to the flock.

When we get there everyone looks impatient. "I thought you two would never come back. Are you ready?" Gazzy asks.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. It's only a few minutes flight to the cliff. Let's get going."

Once we're all in the air we get back on course. Iggy and Gazzy stay towards the back, Nudge, Angel and I stay in the front.

I try my best to not think about the next few minutes. The less I think about it, the less I'll freak about it. Anytime now we'll see the cl-

I see the tops of the cliff in the distance.

My heart starts racing.

This is it.

After all these years I'm fixing to see him again.

The cliffs are even closer nowand Angel tellsme I'mgoing in first.

Without thinking I feel my wings beat faster.

I can't believe this.

The entrance to the cave is right before me.

I realize to late that I'm going to fast.

I try to slow down so I can make a better landing.

Three hawks are on one side of the cliff, a dark figure sitting on the ground with his head down sits on the opposite side.

I go in to land and when I do my feet stumble and I catch myself just in time.

When I look up, the dark head is up, and those dark eyes lock onto mine.

* * *

 **Well I hope y'all liked it! Please review and tell me whatcha think. I'll try to update as soon as possible.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 is here my people! I hope you like it.**

 ****

 **I don't think I've mentioned this but I'll try to update once or twice a week till the story is finished.**

 ****

 **Read and review please! And thank you for your reviews so far.**

 **Once again... ENJOY! :)**

* * *

_Fang's pov..._

 __

I look at the woman before me. _Is this Max?_ I think to myself. God, she's beautiful. Even more sothan I remember.

I slowly get to my feet as if she's a wild animal I'm trying not to scare off.

Oh God, she's here. Max.

"Hi," I say.

Her mouth opens to respond when the rest of the flock comes in behind her one by one.

"FANG!" Nudge shouts as shecomes in running. She wraps her small arms around me and squeezes, a big smile on her face.

It takes me a few seconds to respond to this and when I finally process it,I wrap my arms around her too. She's grown.

Iggy steps forward andI clasp hishand and do the half hug thing men do and then Gazzy does the same.

Angel hugs me and whispers, "We missed you."

"I missed all of you too." I whisper back.

Angel steps back and I can't believe I missed them all grow up. They're all adults. The whole time I was gone I kept picturing the kids I left.

"It was your choice." Angel says in a whisper again.

I blink, trying to dry myeyes. "I know."

They stand to the side of me in a group. All but one...

I look around and my eyes meet Max's. they quickly flit away and her cheeks color. I need to talk to her. I've been waiting for years to see her again.

I take a few steps towards her and stop, not sure what to do. Do I go up to her and hug her? Or wait for her to do something? I've never been thebest at this.

The rest of the flock is watching, their eyes following every movement. I start to take a step when Max half-walks half-runs towards me, throwing her arms around my neck. My arms instinctively wrap around her waist and I lift her off the ground a few  
inches. I close my eyes and press my cheek against her hair, her face buried in my neck.

The feeling I have right now I can't explain. I've never been good at feelings. I guess I've always thought ofthem likerain... they come and go. Too much causes a flood. Not enough causes things to dry up and die.

I set her down but I don't ever want to let her go.

Her warm breath fans across my neck when she says, "I missed you."

Before I can respond she suddenly pulls away from me and walks to the flock, getting behind them.

I clear my throatand look at them. "I can't believe you all are here." I say. " I've missed you allso much."

Behind them, the sky is a burnt orange, signaling the day is almost over.

"Let's build a fire. I wanna be able to see all of you."

We build a small fire and everyone gathers around it. I watch Max as she tries to get a seat away from me. She gets in between Nudge and Gazzy.

I ignore the hurt I'm feeling and decide to get everyone talking. Pushing the dark hair out of my eyes, I start talking. "So... what have I missed? Tell me. Anything new?"

Iggy's head drops and a small smile forms on his lips. "Ella and I are married."

This catches me off guard. "Wha- That's amazing! I'm happy for you two!" I look at the rest of the flock around the fire. "How long?"

"A few years," Iggy answers. "Never been happier."

I don't know what to say to that so I do what I normally do: Quiet.

I pick a stick up and roll it around in my fingers trying to ignore the awkward silence.

I pick my head up and my eyes once again lock with Max's. Her eyes flit away again and I fight down frustration. This is not how I thought thiswould go between us.

"Fang," my eyes find Angel. "Why don't you tell us about yourself. What've you been doing? Where did you go? Stuff like that."

I inwardly cringe at the thought of having to talk about myself but I shoot for it anyway."When I first left, I tried to start my own flock. Long story short it didn't work out. Then I guess I just started going around the world learning some more  
stuff...I've discovered I like music." I say with a shrug.  
( **For some reason I see Fang as the dark and brooding musical type lol. Might just be me though.)**

They all look kinda surprised to me.

"What kind of music?" Gazzy asks.

"I don't care for songs with words. To me it can either take out of the music or add into it depending on what they're saying. I'd justrather instrumental."

"What type of instrumentals do you listen to?" That was Nudge.

"Mostly piano." I don't tell them this, but I learned how to play in Italy when I was going around the about the place brought a side of me out I never knew I had. It was... artsy I guess. And musical. So I stayed there for about  
six years and learned.

A question surfaces in my mind. "Have you-"

Angel cuts me off. "Right now we're living with Dr. Martinez. Iggy and Ella stay there too."

I grin. "You should just read my mind and answer my questions before I ask them more often. Saves me from talking."

Her cheeks color and she nervously tucks a curl behind her ear. "It's a bad habit."

"So you said you're staying with us for good," Max says. "Do you mean it?" Her tone has an edge to it.

I look around the fire at the faces who I've always held in a special place in my heart. Even though they probably don't know. I'm not the mushy type. I've never told them how much they mean to me. Ever since I left, there was something missing from me.  
Now that I'm back, I'm whole again.

I look at Max. "I mean't every word." 

* * *

**Well? Read and review please! I like to know what you guys think.**

 ****

 **Hope y'all enjoyed it and the next chapteris on it's way.**

 ****

 **And rememberReviews make happy writers! ;)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ain't got anything to say at the beginning of this one so... read on lol.**

* * *

 _Max's pov..._

I watch Fang over the fire. He looks almost exactly the same just more aged. I find myself watching him. Taking in every inch of his face, examining it. Probably too much. Because I never realized how pronounced his cheekbones were or how long and thickhis  
black lashes were... I squeeze my eyes shut. I don't wantto get close to him just to get my heart broken all over again.

I tried to get the seat farthest away from him tonightand ended up getting right in front of him. Naturally. So it gave me the best spot to watch him. I'll zone out ofthe conversation and just watch him. He picked up a stick not too long agoand is picking  
at it now.

He'll look up every now and then and catch me watching him and our eyes will meet for a split second before I look away.

When he said something about liking piano, I looked at his hands. I guess they're the type of hands that are good for piano. Long and thin. Perfect for moving across the keys.

Earlier, I lost control of myself. I ran to Fang and wrapped my arms around his neck. It felt so right way he wrapped his arms around my waist instantly and lifted me off the ground. I felt whole in his arms.

Fang starts talking again bringing me out of my thoughtsand Angel cuts him off.

"Right now we're staying with Dr. Martinez. Iggy and Ella are staying there too."

He must've been wanting to know where we're staying. I've thought about it a lot. About finding a house here in Arizona to stay by my mom. I haven't talked to the flock about it. Maybe if Fang really does mean what he said...

"So you said you're staying with us for good," I say. "Did you mean it?" My voice is sharp.

His dark eyes roam around the fire, looking at each of the fiveof us. Fang looks back to me and there's a look in his eyes I've seen only once or twice before...

"I mean't every word." The look in his eyes is so intense itjust about takes my breath away.

"So-so you're staying?" I curse the vulnerable way my voice sounds. I don't like feeling or seeming vulnerable.

"Do you want me too?"

The flock watches me knowingly. They know how much I struggled these twentyyears. I never really got used to not having Fang. They all helped as best they could. Like Iggy. He acted as much like Fang as he could. Talking to me, taking charge ofthe  
flock when I couldn't handle the role.

I pick at my windbreaker nervously, not wanting to show him how much I really do want him to stay.

"Yes..."

"Then I'm staying."

"Oh okay."

We all just sit watching the fire in silence. So it's official. He's here for good... I hope.

I look all around the cliff and pat my knees. "Uh, well, I'm gonna go ahead and hit the hay." I say awkwardly. I stand. "Um, goodnight."

I turn and go to where we stayed last time we were here. I lay down on my stomach, using my crossed arms as a pillow and untuck my wings. I let them spread out around me.

I'm close enough to where I can hear them talk but still far enough to where I can't make out their words. They talk for a few more minutes and I start to hear their feet scuffing. The sound of them standing.

One by one they come over to me and lay down around me. First Nudge, then Gazzy, Angel. Iggy and Fang stay by the fire the longest. I can hear their deep murmurs. The sound of their voices lull me. I close my eyes but sleep doesn't come.

Eventually I hear Iggy and Fang stand and I hear them take a few steps.

"Are you gonna goover there?" I hear Iggy say.

I wait so long for a response I'm convinced that Fang ignored him.

Then I hear him. "No."

"Is it because ofthe way Max is acting?"

"Kind of. I think it'll just make things weirder for her." Silence.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Iggy says. "But don't think for a second she didn't miss you man."

I hear Iggy pat him in on the back then footsteps headed towards us.

I close my eyes fast and hear Iggy lay down beside Gazzy.

I can't believe Iggytold Fang that! I mean he could've told him worse. How I had nightmares about losing Fang and how I cried over him and- I think you get it. It was actually pretty pitiful.

After a few hours of me rolling around on the rocky ground, I decide to go outside to fly.

I slowly rise to my knees, looking around to make sure everyone isasleep. I quietly step over Angel who had laid down beside me, and make my way to the cliffs edge.

I stand there, at the edge and look out at the navy blue sky. I turn around and walk back a few steps. Then I spin around and run as fast as I can. Then I jumpoff the edge and fall.

* * *

 **I hope you liked this chapter! 2 in one day! That's kinda like an accomplishment for me lol. And remember... I like reviews... a lot. ^_^**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter. It's gonna be the only one for this week and next.**

 ****

 **My story that I did about a week ago got some reviews that were pretty much threats lol. Please don't write any reviewslike that! Although I did laugh at them because they were pretty stupid.**

 ****

 **That's all... read on.**

* * *

_Fang's pov..._

 __

A noise makes my eyes pop open.I look towards the cliffs edge and see Max jump off.

 _Going out for a midnight fly,_ I think. _That hasn't changed._

 __

I get to my feet and run to the cliff. I look out and scan the dark sky, looking for a glimpse of tan feathers. I look down and see her open her wings.  
This will bethe time with her I've been waiting for. I open my powerful black wings and jump off after her.

Max flies slowly, mywings beating in rhythm with hers. I ache to hold her like I did before I left. I don't know if she'll ever let me get that close again. Not after how I left her.

We fly over a hilland she starts descending. She circles the hill a few times, still oblivious that I'm following her, and lands.I keep flying high over her, hoping she doesn't see me. She sits and props her elbows on her knees.

Now or never.

I drop down behindher and fold my dark wings against my back. I silently walk to her and slowly sit down beside her. She turns her head to me but never looks.I sit a few feet away from her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.

We sit in silence for what seems like hours, until theworld startslighting up with the coming morning. Red and orange streaks color the sky. Coming from the sun that's rising.

Suddenly Max looks at me. "Why'd you follow me?"

Those brown eyes lock on mine and I can barely breathe.I can't think of any excuse that could cover up the truth that I just want to talk like we used too. "I don't know," I say plainly. "I guess I just wanted to talk to you."

She doesn't look away and she doesn't say anything. I wish I could think of something to say. I'm not good with words. I've never been the best at expressing feelings but I so wish I could express them to Max. I just don't want her to fly or run away  
afterward like she usually does if I try. Kissing her out of the blue wouldn't help the situation either, because I want to... very badly.

We continue sitting there just studying each other. _What's going on in that head of yours Maximum Ride?_ I think.

"You look different." She says suddenly.

I let out a quiet laugh. "It's been twenty years so I would think so."

She rolls her eyes in that annoyingly cuteway of hers. "Nofreaking duh." She turns her body fully to me and crosses her legs. "It's just something about you that's different. Yes you're older but it's something else."

I don't know what to think of this. "Uh my hair is a little shorter?" I say it like it's a question.

She taps her finger on her lips making the urgeto kiss her even stronger. "Nope."

"I'm taller."

"Not that either."

I don't suggest anything else. I wouldn't know what's different about me to Max.

"I think I know," she says after a few minutes. "You're a little less... brooding. A little happier."  
If only she knew that was just because I'm with her again.

"Is that good?" I ask.

She shrugs. "I'll get back to you on that one."

We both go silent again and I search my mind for something to say or ask. Finally, I settle for a question. "What have you done the past 20 years?" She pulls at the grass and looks across the red Arizona hills.

"Nothing really." She keeps pulling the grass and I wonder if she's lying.

I pull my knee up to my chest and rest the side of my elbow on it, letting my hand dangle down. "I'm sure you did something."

"I did nothing but cryfor the first week after you left." She violently rips some more grass and I start to actually feel sorry for the grass. "I was acting like a stupid, emotional teenage girl that had just gotten dumped by the boy she had feelings  
for." She wipes the back of her hand across her cheek and I feel terrible that she's crying. "And I thought I would never see you again." She says in a whisper.

I lean forward fast and grab her hand in both of mine. "I'm here now." I tilt her chin up. "I'm here for good." The black lashes that frame her brown eyes are wet. She blinks and a tear falls. I wipe it away quickly and rub my thumb over her grass stained  
nails. Then her knuckles. I move a little closer to her and I take her other hand and run my other thumb over her nails. She stays quiet and still. _Please don't run,_ I think as I lean in.

We're like two magnets. Right now they'rethe opposite sides. They don't connect and they bounce away. Eventually they get close enough and one flips to the rightside where they connect.

That didn't happen for us right now. I didn't get close enough.

Max rips her hands from mine and stands. "I can't do this." She says just loud enough for me to hear her words. "It's too soon." She unfolds her wings and jumps.

"Crap," I mutter. _You just had to try and kiss her didn't you Fang?_ I think to myself. If I would've waited longer she mightnot have ran.

I fly after her catching her wrist. "Max wait," she halfheartedly triesto wrench her wrist from my grasp. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"You're right, you shouldn't have."

* * *

 **Hope you all liked it and while you're at it write a little review. Might be about two weeks before the next chapter.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you everyone who has favorited and followedthisstory!**

**Enjoy! ;)**

* * *

 _Max's pov..._

I storm onto the cliff and see the flock wide awake. "Where'd you two go?" Gazzy asks suspiciously.

"No where." I snap.

I hear Gazzy grumble, "Well somebody woke up on the wrong wing." ( **Prolly doesn't sound right but who cares? Lol)**

I'm sure Fang is right behind me. Turning into the shadow at my shoulder like he used too. I just wish it would feel the same as it did. Even though I know it won't.

"Went out for a night fly?" Angel asks.

"And I got an uninvited guest that followed along." I mutter.

Angel eyes both of us. No telling what's going on in that mind of hers. I start feeling uncomfortable under her scrutinizing stare and shift. Fang does the same behind me.

"Would you cut that out?"

"What?" She asks in that innocent way of hers.

"Staring. You're looking at me like a thanksgiving turkey that you're trying to decide how to stuff. Stop it."

"Are we going back to Dr. Martinez's?" Nudge comes up beside me, standinga head taller than me.

"Yes," I say, my tone still holding an agitated edge. "We should be leaving as soon as possible."

I start walking back towardsthe cliff edge, Fang still following. "What do you want from me Fang?" I say sounding tired in my own ears. I don't bother turning around to see the blank expression that I know is on his face.

"I don't want anything from you." I feel him come closer and I go stiff. I can't help it sometimes when I do things, I just react with out thinking. I go super stiff, barely breathing. He moves to my side. I see his hand twitch beside mine, maybe

itching to hold it like mine is itching to hold his.

"We're ready!" I hear Iggy call out. But it sounds like he's speaking through a pillow or something. For some reason I zone in on our hands. Then Fang's eyes. Then...

Gazzy runs in between us knocking me down while Fang stumbles. I fall with an'oof!'. I glare at Gazzy who is flying in circles in the sky. Fang is suddenly in front of me reaching his hand down. I don't even ignore it and get up on my own like  
/I'd normally do, I surprise myself and grab his hand in my own. He pulls me up and quickly lets go. He starts walking the opposite way and I watch him flexthe fingers on his hand that I just held.

I puzzle over that and then get the rest of the flock ready to fly back home.

"Fang!" I call out. "We're leaving!" I wait for a few seconds until I see his dark form appear from behind a boulder. I watch him as I unfold my wings then shoot into the air, eager to get home where something is normal.

After hours of flying consumed in my thoughts but very aware of Fang beside me, I see we're close to home. I think of mom and Ella waiting on us and I smile.

"What're you thinking about?" Fang says from beside me. I immediately drop the smile and feel the wall come up that I've made. I don't mean to do it and I certainly don't want to but it just happens. After someone has hurt me a wall comes up, andFang  
hurt me... very badly.

"Home." I say bluntly.

He must get the strange idea that I don't feel like talking to him and he shuts up. He flies a little closer to me to where the tips of our feathers almost touch. Black skimming over tan. Fang must have been trying to do this discreetly. I don't pointout  
that I noticed because I see his dark eyes flit down, meeting my own, and I quickly avert my gaze.

I must admit, after twenty years of not seeing his wings, I forgot how gorgeous they are. The afternoon sun shines down on them, making them look a blackish-purple. I find myself fighting the urge to rub one of his silken feathers between my indexfinger  
and thumb. The idea startles me.

I finally see the collection of houses that means we're home. I sigh. I can't wait to put on my pajamas and curl up in my bed to sleep. I lost hours of sleep last night and I can feel it weighing my eyes down.

We finally land in the driveway and Ella bursts through the front door and shouts Iggy's name. He follows her voice and of course they embrace and kiss. I look behind me at Fang and see him watching them, taking in the scene before him. Then his eyesfind  
my own and I can't look away. _What is going on in that head of yours?_ I find myself thinking.

"Fang!" My mom shouts from the front door, making Fang and I break our stare. "I was wondering if that was you behind my Max!" She starts walking towards us. "You've gotten taller! And even more handsome if I do say so myself." She makes Fang blushbecause  
if the motherly ways she's making a big deal about him. You know what I mean. The whole "You've gotten taller!" And the whole even more handsome thing she said. (Which I agree with. Not that I'll tell anyone.)

She ushers us to the house asking Fang a bunch of questions that I know are driving him insane.

Iggy and Ella are on the couch when we walk in. She's sitting practically on his lap with her head on his shoulder and he's got his arm around her. They look like they're about to kiss which makes me really uncomfortable. "Hey! No PDA for crying outloud!"  
They kinda scramble up from the couch at the irritating way my voice sounds.

They both blush furiously even though they're married. "We didn't realize you all walked in." Ella says sheepishly. I fan my hand in a doesn't-matter way.

I look around for mom and see she's coming out of the guest bedroom. It was Fang's initially but got turned into the guest bedroom after a few years. I would lay on his bed and cry which sounds really overdramatic now that he's here again. She tellshim  
it's his again and he just nods.

Eventually everyone makes their way to their own rooms and it's just momand I up.

"So..." she begins and I know where she's headed. "Are you okay?"

I kinda ignore her at first then give in. I need to talk it out before I burst. "It's weird having him back." We wait a few more minutes and I get thefeeling sheknows I have more to say. She waits on me for a while sipping from her mug.

"He tried to kiss me..."

She doesn't react like I thought she would- spewing her coffee out of her mouth, eyes wide and blurting out questions. Instead she just primly sets her mug down and fold her hands on the table. "Well he must've missed you very much."

I don't know how to answer her and I know what she may be fixing to ask. "He still loves you Max." I stay quiet and feel tears threaten. "The question is," she says quietly. "Do you love him?"

I struggle for a few seconds. There is no doubt about it in my heart that I love him. I don't think I've ever told her that I love him and I know it may realese the tight hold it has on my heart to say the words. Two simple words-

I whisper them, barely audible. "I do."

* * *

 **Sorry it's been a while since I've posted on this story, so I did a longer chapter.**


End file.
